Rio Olympics 2016 thread

[remydat]

Makes sense. Phelps has 23 gold medals, more than twice as much as 2nd place (9 gold medals)...Phelps won 8 gold medals in 2008 Olympics, Bolt has 7 gold medals total...but in terms of "pure dominance", Bolt is obviously better.

This stuff was already covered above. Pure dominance to me is measured by winning the same events. Bolt is potentially going to win the 100 and 200 meters 3 times, he holds the world records in those events and it's not even close, and he is competing against a much larger group of competitors because everyone can run but half the world can't swim. There are literally around 7 billion people in the world that could conceivably challenge him. The number is less than half of that for Phelps.

So not sure what you don't understand. Phelps is a more versatile performer with exceptional endurance that competes in a sport that allows him to rack up more medals. But as far as dominance, if I had to put all my life savings on Bolt in the 100 or 200 or Phelps in the 100, 200 butterfly or 200 IM, I am putting my money on Bolt easily because I am far more confident that he would win than I would be than Phelps. I have never seen Bolt lose in the Olympics. He is easily the fastest man ever in his chosen events. I've seen Phelps lose the 200 m fly in 2012 and the 100m fly in 2016 and I know Ryan Lochte has the WR record in the 200 IM. So in his 3 best events, I've seen others that can challenge him. Never really seen that with Bolt when it counts.

In short, I have seen Phelps be mortal. I have never seen that with Bolt really. That is why he is more dominant than me. You are free to disagree but trying to pretend this is confusing or illogical is silly.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Plus who doesnt want to lick some beach volleyball snatch

The girls in green are the Brazilians Larissa França and Talita Antunes, the top seeded pair in Beach Volleyball .

 

[Monster]

If bolt gets those other two he will tie Lewis. (Modern era). Will tie Nurmi as well.
Pretty cool to maybe see that.
This is a pretty awesome Olympics.

 

[remydat]

Wow, diving for the gold medal. She definitely left everything out on the track tonight. Congrats to Shaunae Miller. Making The Bahamas proud! That's my peeps!

 

[SilenceS]

So, being the GOAT of all time at multiple skills is not as great at being GOAT at the same event. Also, USA would have won those relays anyway. but when Bolt ran them they wouldnt have without him? Da fuq?

 

[remydat]

So, being the GOAT of all time at multiple skills is not as great at being GOAT at the same event. Also, USA would have won those relays anyway. but when Bolt ran them they wouldnt have without him? Da fuq?

The US Swim team is clearly the best in the world. So much so that Phelps won a gold medal in one of those relays by just doing the heats ie he didn't even race in the final. The US won a ton of relay medals before Phelps and they will win a ton of relay medals after he retires. The first time the Jamaican relay team ever won gold in the 100m was in 2008 and that was because of Bolt. They won again in 2012 with Bolt on the team. When the Jamaican relay team manages to win the relays without Bolt consistently enough to be considered the best in the world without him then you may have a point.

Being GOAT at multiple skills means you are versatile. However, he's been beat at the Olympics or for the WR in those events. Being the GOAT at 2 events where you hold the WR and have never lost in the Olympics means you are more dominant IMO.

Phelps is the GOAT when it comes to versatility and endurance. Bolt is the GOAT when it comes to dominance as I interpret the term meaning there has been zero chance really of anyone ever beating him in the Olympics or topping his World Records.

 

[Monster]

Phelps has 3 individual WRs.
He's was also on all three WR relay teams.
He currently holds six WRs total...
Also notable...
He's tied with Carl Lewis and (can't remember who) for winning 4 straight golds for one individual event.
One of only three to have ever done that.
Also one three straight golds in another event.

 

[remydat]

Phelps has 3 individual WRs.
He's was also on all four WR relay teams.
He currently holds seven WRs total...
Also notable...
He's tied with Carl Lewis and (can't remember who) for winning 4 straight golds for one individual event.
One of only three to have ever done that.
Also one three straight golds in another event.

Yes he has the WR in the 100 fly, 200 fly and 400 IM. As I already said though, he lost the 100 fly this year, lost the 200 fly in 2012 and stopped competing in the 400 IM after 2008 so only has 2 golds in that event. So again, despite the WRs, he has shown his mortality in those events by losing at the Olympics in them or no longer competing in them. The event he's won the 4 golds in is the 200 medley which he no longer has the WR as Lochte does so again evidence of his mortality.

As for the relays, in 2004, the US team set the World Record in the the 4x100m medley team without Phelps as they broke the record in the finals but he only raced in the heats. Then in 2008, they simply broke the record they had set this time with Phelps. So the reality is the relay team was good enough to break the WR with him and without him. I'm not saying he doesn't make those teams better. I am saying they have proven they can win and even set world records without him. The US Swim team has stars all over the place. The Jamaican relay team has only ever won gold with Bolt.

You can easily make an argument for Phelps. I am simply saying Bolt has never really shown us his mortality. He has dominated the 100 and 200 like no one before as he is on pace to go undefeated in the Olympics and no one has sniffed his WRs in those events. He has also carried his relay team to gold when they had never won gold before.

 

[Monster]

Have to agree to disagree...
Im not taking anything away from Bolt...
If he wins two more he will tie Lewis and Nurmi in golds...
Will be fun to watch.
That and who knows what 2020 will bring.

Leonidas of Rhodes individual medal record held up 2,168 years...
Ewry's held up about a hundred... (Modern).
Wonder how long Phelps will.

 

[FirstTimer]

If you haven't seen Bolt be mortal you haven't been following his career.

 

[brett05]

I know my daughter is pissed they dropped women's softball as an Olympic sport.

Returns with Baseball in 2020

 

[remydat]

Have to agree to disagree...
Im not taking anything away from Bolt...
If he wins two more he will tie Lewis and Nurmi in golds...
Will be fun to watch.
That and who knows what 2020 will bring.

Leonidas of Rhodes individual medal record held up 2,168 years...
Ewry's held up about a hundred... (Modern).
Wonder how long Phelps will.

Pretty sure the Olympics back in the day didn't have all the swimming events that the Olympics do now but fair enough on agreeing to disagree.

 

[remydat]

If you haven't seen Bolt be mortal you haven't been following his career.

The mortality comment was in the context of the Olympics and World Records. Bolt has never lost in the Olympics and no one has touched his WRs in 100 or 200.

 

[remydat]

Rory,

There is just too much stupidity to go over in your post so let's hit the highlights.

Swimming has far more medals than track and field at the exact same distance. This has already been discussed and comes up every time a discussion of Phelps and Bolt occurs so not sure why this is shocking to you.

Running can be undertaken by any fit individual in the world while more than half the world cannot swim or don't know the basics of the different strokes. This has already been discussed and comes up every time a discussion of Phelps and Bolt occurs so not sure why this is shocking to you.

If you put Bolt on the track team and he ran the 4x100m heats but didn't run in the final but his team still won, that would lessen the achievement because he wasn't critical to their success. They would most likely run a faster time with him in their but they were still capable of winning the gold without him. That has nothing to do with individual accomplishments. The individual accomplishments are theirs and theirs alone. However, when you start throwing in team medals, it is entirely fair to discuss exactly how important the team is. The US swim team is recognized as the best swim team with or without Phelps when it comes to the relays. They have dominated the relays for years. The Jamaican 4x100m relay team had never won gold prior to Bolt so it is entirely fair to hold his carrying his tiny country to gold for the first 2 times in their history in higher esteem.

If you want to value the gold medals and those alone as your factor for deciding greatest Olympian then that is your right. I disagree for the reasons already stated. It's not more complicated than that.

 

[remydat]

Your comparison to HRs is fucking stupid. Hitting the ball out of the park is the exact same skill for Bonds and Aaron. Swimming and Running are two fucking different events. Jesus. It's not an apples to apples comparison hence why other factors are involved. Like how stupid can you be.

When there is a 200 meter dash, 200 meter crip walk, 200 meter backpedal, 200 meter four legged race, and 200 meter sprint medley then the medals comparison would line up. At 200 meters, Phelps can conceivably compete for 5 medals. Bolt can only compete for 1. If you don't conceptually understand how that inflates Phelps chance at a medal then not sure what to tell you.

Finally when Wang Chen wins the 20km walk and the 10km walk for 3 straight Olympics and holds the WRs in both events then sure he can enter the conversation. Until then his victory has no relevance in the discussion of dominance because he has 1 gold and 1 bronze. Quit being an idiot.

 

[Omeletpants]

If my junk still worked I would bone the one on the left

 

[Monster]

The mortality comment was in the context of the Olympics and World Records. Bolt has never lost in the Olympics and no one has touched his WRs in 100 or 200.

Never? Might want to check that.

 

[FirstTimer]

The mortality comment was in the context of the Olympics and World Records. Bolt has never lost in the Olympics and no one has touched his WRs in 100 or 200.

He's lost at the World's before and even missed the major world competitions in 2014 with an injury.

 

[FirstTimer]

Never? Might want to check that.

2004 Athens never happened.

 

[xer0h0ur]

Why am I not surprised in even the slightest to see Remy talking down Phelps and propping up black athletes. *sigh*